As a precaution in response to COVID-19, please now dispose of all tissues, napkins, paper towels and feminine hygiene products in the garbage. Diapers can continue to go in the Green Bin. Ask the Waste Wizard to find out where and how to properly dispose of an item.
The City’s Green Bin program helps keep waste out of landfill by collecting and processing organics into material that can be used to create nutrient-rich compost used to feed and nourish soil. The City collects organics from approximately 460,000 houses, as well as apartment and condo buildings, schools and City-owned buildings.
The City has installed Green Bins for organic waste in all Dog Off-Leash Areas in parks across the city. In parks that do not have a Green Bin, residents are encouraged to dispose of dog poop and other organic waste in garbage bins or take it home and place it in the Green Bin.
Green Bin Use & Tips
All food waste, whether fresh, frozen, dried, prepared, cooked or spoiled, can be placed in the Green Bin
Line your kitchen catcher (i.e. indoor organics container) or Green Bin (not both) with any plastic bag (e.g. grocery, milk, produce). Compostable plastic bags are not necessary.
Twist or loosely tie the plastic bag (no twist ties)
Take food items out of their plastic bags/wrap (check your collection calendar or Waste Wizard to see if packaging can go in the Blue Bin recycling)
Remove stickers, twist ties and elastic bands from produce as too much plastic or other contaminants results in lower quality compost
To prevent odours, wash kitchen catchers and Green Bins frequently (both can be cleaned with dish soap)
Consider storing organic waste in your freezer or fridge to reduce odours and flies, particularly in the summer months
Kitchen containers for organics may be purchased from various retailers
For new, additional or replacement Green Bins for houses, contact 311
Items Accepted in the Green Bin
All Food Waste
Vegetable scraps and peels, corn cobs and husks
Fruit cores, pits, peels
Meat, poultry, fish, shellfish (including bones)
Pasta, bread, grains, cereals, rice, flour
Dairy products, eggs (including shells)
Nuts, nutshells
Baked goods, desserts
Other
Coffee grounds, filters, tea bags
Food-soiled paper plates and takeout containers (not waxed or plastic-coated)
Paper bags (e.g. from flour, sugar)
Food-soiled pizza boxes
Paper muffin cups (not waxed or parchment)
House plants, including soil
Pet waste
Diapers
Items Not Accepted in the Green Bin
Recycling
Plastic bags (soft and stretchy)
Plastic food containers and cutlery (black and compostable plastic is garbage)
Aluminum pie plates, trays, roasting pans
Foam trays (absorbent pads and plastic wrap are garbage)
Garbage
Paper napkins, paper towels, tissues (moved from Green Bin to garbage as a precaution in response to COVID-19)
Feminine hygiene products (moved from Green Bin to garbage as a precaution in response to COVID-19)
Compostable plastic and plastic-lined paper containers, cups, cutlery
Wax or plastic-coated paper plates, takeout containers
Plastic-lined paper packaging (e.g. single-serve oatmeal packs, some outer tea bags)
Important Information About Compostable and Biodegradable Items
The City does not accept the following items marketed or labelled as compostable or biodegradable in its Green Bin organics program:
containers/packaging
coffee pods
coffee cups
cutlery
These items, which may be made of or lined with a bio-based plastic, must be disposed of in the garbage. Alternatively, products can be returned to retailers/manufacturers that offer take-back programs.
The City commissioned research related to disposal of single-serve coffee and tea pods. The findings include feedback from Toronto residents about use, attitudes and disposal behaviours.
Why the City doesn’t accept these items in the Green Bin
What goes in the Green Bin is very important as the organic material is used to create high-quality compost that can be used to feed and nourish soil. The Green Bin program was designed primarily to handle food waste as well as some fibre/paper products. It was not designed to process packaging.
Instead of traditional composting, the City uses anaerobic digestion technology to process Green Bin waste. Before organic material goes into the anaerobic digesters, it goes through a pre-processing phase to remove any contamination. In this phase, anything that behaves like a plastic, regardless of what it is made of, is removed and sent to landfill. Bio-based plastics, such as compostable plastic bags and cutlery, behave like plastic and as such are removed during the pre-processing phase and sent to landfill.
Why the City uses anaerobic digestion to process organics
There are many benefits to using anaerobic digestion to process organics. The City chose anaerobic digestion because it:
produces nutrient-rich digester solids that can be turned into high-quality compost
reduces the greenhouse gas emissions of organic waste processing by allowing the biogas generated to be captured and burned off so that methane doesn’t escape into the atmosphere
makes participation in the Green Bin program easier by allowing residents to put organics in regular plastic bags that can be removed in the pre-processing stage versus having to buy and use compostable bags
minimizes odours allowing the City to process organics within city limits in a controlled facility
